The Shoulder She Cries On
by PallaPlease
Summary: Another Ron/Hermione fanfic, set in fifth year, I believe.  Fluff with an edge!  [Complete]


Title: The Shoulder She Cries On  
Writer: PallaPlease.  
Summary: An interesting fanfic involving Ron and Hermione. For the sake of this fanfic, pretend the lake is able to be used for swimming.  
Rating: G  
(Note: I do not know if Barnes & Noble is in England, but for the sake of my other R/H fanfic, "I Swear", make-believe it does. Now on to the fanfic!)  
  
***  
***  
  
The water was cold and enveloping, smooth and rippling quietly in a liquid aftershock as Hermione trekked downwards through the dark waters. Tears slowly pulled away from her eyelashes, losing themselves in the icy realm she had retreated to, hoping for solace.  
  
|Dear Hermione|  
  
With a silent cry, she slanted and pushed herself up with a tremendous thrust of her legs, lancing from the depths to arch her neck back and cry openly.  
  
|I am writing to tell you that though I greatly admire you and find you to possess an inner beauty both divine and rare, our relationship can only be one of friendship. I have met a young woman of my native Bulgaria, and she is one I love.|  
  
Hermione felt her skin plaster itself tightly to her, fitting like a second skin. The freezing numbness of the aquatic world was perfect for her eclipsed heart, quick and painful in its silence and unloving embrace. 'It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all,' she though with a bitter smile, sweeping her arms forward and striking for shore, the movements graceful, yet slow, her tears mingling with the water beneath her. With a heave, she pulled herself onto the ground, weakly and sluggishly. Snagging her towel from the branch of the lakeside tree, she rubbed her face off and shook her head quickly, sparkling droplets flying from her wet brown hair.  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
Startled, she looked up, towel draped around her shoulders and hands woven into her hair, skin glistening from the moonlight softly dripping down from the radiant orb above. Ron stood in the shadows, face open and innocent, lips pursed into a shocked 'o' as he stared wide-eyed at her. Quickly wrapping the towel around her bosom and waist, face reddening as Ron averted his gaze, cheeks flushing. "Um, Ron, what a…surprise to see you out here."  
  
Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and glancing up shyly through his eyelashes, he responded quietly, "You weren't back in the dormitory and the Fat Lady wouldn't stop squawking, so Harry and I…uh…we kind of…you know, looked for you." Hastily wiping her hand across her cheeks and eyes, drying the lingering trails swiftly. "Thank-you," she whispered softly, smiling nervously.  
  
"What, no sarcastic, blistering retort?" he joked as she walked hurriedly passed him and she snickered gently, sweeping a hand through her hair in a carefree manner, playfully socking his shoulder. "My, what intelligence yon brute shows," she giggled, quickening her pace into a run as her friend laughed and shot after her.  
  
Thoughts of Victor Krum were banished from the corridors of her mind, vanishing into a twisting, dying mist. Shrieking and giggling, the teenaged girl slid through the mud surrounding the lake, the silt spattering the back of her legs. Broad grin splitting Ron's features, he followed after her, sheared robes tearing around him as he trailed behind the swimsuit-clad girl.  
  
^^  
  
"Fairy kiss," Hermione declared and the Fat Lady eyed her critically, obviously about to scold the two teenagers standing before her, one literally dripping wet and the other breathing heavily, still grinning devilishly.  
  
"Two sixth years like yourself should know be-mmkuff!" Ron, his breathing still coming hard and thick, smirked from where he had placed his hand over the painted woman's mouth, tossing his head to one side, his shoulder-length red hair whispering teasingly as it shifted with his movement. "Okay, see, I was out looking for Hermione and we'd like to get back in so we can get some much needed sleep. That okay?"  
  
The Fat Lady scowled, then swung open in a vicious attempt to pin Ron's hand to the wall. Fortunately, he managed to yank his hand away and he made a scolding. clucking sound, stooping over and stepping into the Gryffindor common room. Smiling nervously at the angry Fat Lady, Hermione slipped in after her friend.  
  
Only to find the room empty and deserted.  
  
And, strangely, she wanted Ron to come back.  
  
^^  
  
Harry glanced up from his frantic search for his map, obviously trying to find other materials to help with the supposedly ongoing quest for Hermione. "You found her?" he asked eagerly and Ron, with a dreamy smile, nodded before stripping his robes off over hid head. Raising an eyebrow incredulously, Harry ignored the incessant, quiet hooting of Pigwidgeon and smirked, tossing a box of Every Flavor at his freckled friend, smacking him on the back of his red-haired head. Ron made a 'whuff' sound and looked over his shoulder at one of his closest friends, sticking his tongue out childishly.  
  
"And why are you looking so satisfied?" Harry whispered, aware of their snoring roommate, a suspicious look on his features. Ron sighed happily and shrugged into his night-robes, flicking his longer red hair idly, reminded briefly of the argument he'd had with his mother over it. Throwing himself on his bed, the sixteen-year old grinned and tossed a pillow at the black-haired teenager in retaliation.  
  
"All I did was find her!" Ron hissed companionably and Harry shook his head, rolling his eyes as the affectionately nicknamed 'Pig' continued his twittering, a dimly lit shadow showing he was pacing around behind the curtain flung in front of his perch. Hedwig was slumbering almost silently; soft, murmuring noises the only signals of her presence.  
  
"You ever going to tell her?" Harry asked lazily, absently touching the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, buried underneath a layer of messy black locks. "You ever going to tell Ginny?" Ron shot back and he was pleased to see his friend turn beet red.  
  
"We should go to bed," mumbled Harry, following Ron's example and switching day-robes for night-robes quickly. Shaking his head, Ron tapped his wand tip and his section of the room fell into darkness, soundlessly followed by Harry's.  
  
^^  
  
"This is harsh…," Ron grunted and Hermione brushed her hair back, smiling slightly at her close friend's stubborn behavior. Pointing out the explanation for the entry with one hand, Hermione began, "Now, Ron, this hex isn't as hard as it looks."  
  
"Yeah, suuuuuure."  
  
"Ron…"  
  
Leaning closer to him, tracing out the steps of the hex, Hermione continued her explaining while Ron struggled with not only the spell, but the fact that her head was VERY close to his.  
  
"Hey, Hermione," Ron began as casually as he could and he barely avoided her head as she lifted it swiftly in one fluid motion. "You heard from Krum lately?"  
  
Her face turned pale and white, the blood draining from her features and he saw her eyes close tightly, tears forming at the edges. Alarmed, he reached out to touch her shoulder and she fell into him, crying mutely, her body moving with her sobs. Holding her gently, blushing, Ron murmured comforting words until she slowly pulled away, face shining and wet, wiping the tears off her face with the heel of her palm.  
  
"Thanks, Ron. Um, w-where were we?" Sensing the conversation and the precious moment were over, Ron turned back to the large, dusty textbook before the two of them.  
  
^^  
  
Snorting whilst Harry and Ginny leaned on each other for support. Laughing loudly and crying from the force of their laughter, Ron waved the two of them upstairs, smiling sinisterly as his younger sister and his best friend staggered up the steps. Pausing his own movement toward the stairs, he narrowed his eyes at a familiar style of handwriting scrawled across a sheet of foreign parchment. Krum. Hesitating, he looked around cautiously and licked his lips nervously, creeping over to the letter and shifting the pile of textbooks and novels Hermione has stacked on top of it. Lifting up the letter and reading rapidly, his face turned ashen, then dark with fury.  
  
"Ron!" Whirling around, guilty, Ron stared into the hurt eyes of Miss Hermione Granger.  
  
"Hermione, why didn't you tell me? I mean, us," Ron stammered, faltering under her betrayed gaze aimed at him. Hermione gazed silently at him, then softly whispered, "I didn't want you-and Harry-to feel…guilty…or something…something you clods would do!" Unsurprised by her defensive, angry words, Ron smiled knowingly at her.  
  
Lowering her face, she stood there, feeling alone and isolated.  
  
Then a warm hand cupped her chin, lifting her face back up and she felt a flutter in her bosom as Ron smiled an unusually lingering smile, his eyes traveling across her face. "Hermione," he started, "I know this is the absolute worst time to tell you this, but hear me out."  
  
He took a deep breath. "I've been in love with you since you first yelled at Harry and me. I'd been too much of a jackass to realize it until you and Victor went to the dance. And then I was a jealous idiot. So…now I've told you." And, to her surprise, he touched his lips to hers, pulling her into a hug she wasn't unwilling to be part of.  
  
Victor Krum became a friend.  
  
^^  
  
"Beat a pair of queens," said Harry smugly and Ginny smiled an evil, ear-to-ear smile, laying down a pair of aces.  
  
"Shoot," Harry swore, glaring at her. "You cheated."  
  
Ginny batted her eyelashes innocently and her older companion stuck his tongue out. The Gryffindor common room was crowded, shouts and laughter abounding. Ginny and Harry both glanced over at two of their closest friends, seated together on a velvety red couch.  
  
Ron and Hermione were curled up by each other, arguing over who had won a chess match three hours earlier. Harry had the sneaky suspicion neither one really cared about the chess throne.  
  
Grinning, he turned back to the glowing face of Ron's sister.  
  
"Love. Go figure."  
  
^^ 


End file.
